Linda,

One of the issues you will have to work through is what constitutes a scientist. The word was only coined in the early 19th Century and this same period marks the growth of scientist as a professional and many prominent people, especially Americans, were active in scientific research and dissemination but not remembered primarily as scientists today. I suspect you would include Ben Franklin and he has two historic sites, but only one house which is in London. His Philly home was destroyed but is framed out and interpreted as the home of a politician, diplomat, and inventor. His London home (http://www.benjaminfranklinhouse.org/site/sections/default.htm) interprets his scientific side much more prominently listing scientist before politician and founding father among his many accomplishments. Many of his current biographers consider him primarily a scientist. That is certainly what his international fame was based on.

What about Monticello? While we remember Jefferson almost exclusively for his political life, he was also an active naturalist and supporter of the American scientific community on the world stage getting into heated disputes with Buffon over his theory of American Degeneracy. (While writing this I noticed someone else mentioned Monticello) Much can be said for many of our Founding Fathers especially if you include horticulture and animal husbandry as sciences. (Which of course brings into consideration historic plantations which included some gruesome experiments on slaves.)

There are also issues related to scientists and inventors as industrialists. Take Winterthur for example. It could be construed as meeting your needs, but they don't interpret that part of the history. You have to go to Hagley for that. 

Also military people, especially West Point grads in the 19th century since West Point provided one of the best antebellum technical educations in the US, were often active naturalists because much of the exploration of America was done by the military. But we remember them for their fighting. For example, Confederate General Kirby-Smith actively collected natural history specimens and kept his own herbarium and donated others to the Smithsonian retired to  become a botany professor at Sewanee. (The Kirby-Smith house in St. Augustine, his home, does interpret that part of his life to an extent. Including an odd statue of him embracing his slave Alexander Darnes who became a doctor after emancipation) http://www.staugustinehistoricalsociety.org/about.html

Also, are you including those that are interpreted but NOT museums.? The Ira Remsen House in Baltimore home of the discoverer of Saccharin and possibly  Mercurochrome is lightly interpreted and is a National Historic Landmark, but has been subdivided into apartments. 

Lastly, a lot of scientists are remembered today for their work and collecting, so there are not a small number of sites that are billed as labs or gardens that also contain houses. For example the Bartram Gardens in Philadelphia is America's oldest Botanical Gardens, and oh, btw the Bartram House and Farms are there, too. http://www.bartramsgarden.org/ 

As you can tell, I have put a lot of thought to this over the years. I can bore you for hours on my thoughts on the matter, but I have not created a definitive list. I would also encourage you to post this question to h-sci-med-tech. Historians of science, medicine, and technology will be your best resource for this.


Matthew White
PhD Candidate
History of Science
[log in to unmask]





On Nov 29, 2010, at 10:53 AM, Heather McClenahan wrote:

> Hi Linda,
>   It's not open to the public yet, but the wartime home of Robert Oppenheimer is owned by the Los Alamos Historical Society in a life trust. We have begun the planning process for when it will be open (the current residents, who are in their late 80s, can live there as long as they wish). What is the nature of your project?
> 
> Heather McClenahan, assistant museum director
> Los Alamos Historical Society
> http://www.losalamoshistory.org
> [log in to unmask]
> PO Box 43
> 1050 Bathtub Row
> Los Alamos, NM 87544
> 505-662-6272 (office)
> 505-470-2912 (cell)
> 
> Quoting Linda Norris <[log in to unmask]>:
> 
>> Hi All--
>> 
>> For a project, I'm looking for historic homes that were the homes of
>> scientists--inventors, naturalists, engineers, or other kind of science.
>> My Google search has only turned up a few (but interestingly, quite a number
>> in countries in the former Soviet Union) and I'm sure there are more.
>> 
>> Thanks for any suggestions the collective wisdom of the list may have.
>> 
>> And as always, don't forget to check out my blogs:  The Uncataloged
>> Museum<http://uncatalogedmuseum.blogspot.com>and now also, The
>> Pickle Project. <http://pickleproject.blogspot.com>
>> 
>> Linda
>> 
>> --
>> Linda Norris
>> 
>> Where to find me:
>> Blog: uncatalogedmuseum.blogspot.com
>> Twitter: lindabnorris
>> Website:  riverhillpartners.com
>> E-mail:  [log in to unmask]
>> Voice:  607-829-3501
>> 
>> Riverhill
>> PO Box 232
>> Treadwell, NY  13846
>> 
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